Drawer construction



Nov. 7, 1944. F. P. MAY

DRAW ER CONSTRUCTION Filed June ,24, 1941 imam/4 W %%/1 in a planeparallel to its normal position.

Patented Nov. 7, 1944 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE DRAWER CONSTRUCTIONFrank P. May, Rochester, N. Y. Application June 24, 1941, Serial No.399,517

6 Claims.

This invention relates to a drawer having a concealed compartment.

Whereas there have been many constructions in the past involving drawersand other parts of furniture having concealed compartments, it isbelieved that the subject matter of the present invention provides amarked improvement in constructions of this type. While the presence ofthe concealed compartment of this invention is entirely unobvious tothose unfamiliar with the construction, access may be gained readily'tothose who know its location.

The invention relates'to a drawer comprisin a bottom, sides and ends,together with a panel defining a movable false bottom normally supportedabove the drawer bottom in a plane sub" stantially parallel thereto.This panel and the drawer sides are provided with connecting means torestrain the panel against complete removal from the drawer by liftingit. A member projecting upwardly from the panel serves to define apartition for the drawer, and the panel may be connected to the drawersides by means of grooves formed in the sides permitting the panel toslide A modification contemplates a pivotal connection for the panelnear the back of the drawer so that one end of the panel may be liftedand swung through an arc to expose the compartment below it. Theupwardly projecting member, in. one form of the invention, also servesas an operator for the panel to lift or slide it as the case may be. Inanother form, this upwardly projecting member may serve as a lockingmeans to hold the panel in position with respect to the other elementsof the drawer. Other latching or locking means to hold the panel in itsnormal position are likewise contemplated.

A more complete understanding of the invention may be had by referringto the attached drawing wherein:

Fig. 1 is a plan of a drawer embodying one form of the invention;

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section taken along 2--2 of Fig. 1; l

Fig. 3 is a sectional elevation taken along line 3-3 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is a plan of a drawer showing a modiline . fication:

Fig. 8 is a longitudinal section taken along line 8-8 of Fig. 7.

Thedrawer depicted in Figs. 1, 2 and 3 is provided with abottom 20,sides 22, a front end 24 and a rear end 26 fitted together in a suitablemanner. Somewhat above the bottom 20. the sides 22 are provided withopposed grooves 28 which slidably receive a false bottom or panel 30which defines with the bottom 20 a concealed compartment 32. As clearlydepicted in the drawing, the drawer front may also be provided with agroove 34 to receive the forward end of the panel and support the samein its closed position. The rearward end 26 extends downwardly to justabove the plane of the panel so as not to interfere with its slidingmovement, and the rear end of the panel is supported with respect to thedrawer bottom by a strip 36. A member 38 projects upwardly from thepanel, and clears the sides 22 so as to slide with the panel and at thesame time define a partition for the drawer. In order to preventaccidental sliding of the panel, another upwardly projecting member 40is slidably received in opposed vertical grooves 42 and. 44 formedin'the upwardly projecting member 38 and the rear end 26.

It will be evident from the foregoing description that the device isoperated by opening the drawer asufflcieni; amount to permit removal ofthe upwardly projecting member 40, whereupon, by grasping the upwardlyprojecting member 38, the panel can be slid rearwardly in the grooves 28to expose the concealed compart ment 32.

In the event that other latching means are preferred, the upwardlyprojecting member 40 may be dispensed with or used in conjunction withsuch other means.

The modification depicted in Figs. 4, 5 and 6 of the drawing is quitesimilar to that of the preceding figures in most respects. In this casehowever, the upwardly projecting member 40 has not been used and in lieuof the upwardly projecting partitioning element 38, there has beensubstituted an upwardly projecting member 46 slidably received inopposed vertical grooves 48 formed in the sides 22 and in a groove 50formed in the upper surface of the panel 3|].

The operation of this modification is effected by pulling the drawerfrom its guides, not shown, a suflicient distance to permit removal ofthe partition 46 by vertically sliding it from the grooves 48 until itno longer engages the groove 50 formed in the panel, whereupon the panelmay be slid rearwardly as in the previous case to expose the concealedcompartment.

In Figs. 7 and 8 the false bottom or panel 30 is shown as pivotallyrelated to the sides 22 by means of pivot pins or dowels 52 located at adistance above the bottom 20 which is greater than their distance fromthe rear end 26 in order to permit the panel to swing through an aregreat enough to expose substantially the entire concealed compartment32. The lower portion of the rear end 26 may be recessed to form abearing shoulder 54 against which the rear end of the panel may abut inits closed position. A spacing block or strip 56 may be arranged nearthe front of the drawer to support the forward end of the panel in itsclosed position. If desired, the panel and bottom, or other part of thedrawer, may be provided with cooperating fastening elements 58 and 60respectively, which may assume the form of snap elements to restrain thepanel against undesired swinging movement when the drawer is opened fornormal use. And in this case also, the upwardly projecting member 38 mayserve as a handle for opening and closing the concealed compartment inaddition to its partitioning function.

In operation, the drawer is pulled from its guides, the handle 38grasped and the panel swung about its pivots 52 against the resistanceof the fasteners 58 and 60 where they are used.

Whereas several modifications of the present invention have beendescribed in detail, the scope of the invention should not be restrictedthereto except as set forth in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A drawer comprising a bottom, elements constituting sides and ends, apanel providing a unitary movable false bottom in a plane substantiallyparallel to said bottom, at least one of said elements containing aslot, an edge of said panel normally projecting into said slot, meansconnecting said panel with said side walls to restrain said panelagainst complete removal by lifting, and a member projecting upwardlyfrom said panel providing a partition for said drawer.

2. A drawer comprising a bottom, side and end walls, a panel providing amovable false bottom normally supported above said bottom in a planesubstantially parallel to said bottom, said panel and said side wallsbeing slidably related to restrain said panel against removal bylifting, and

one of said walls containing an opening permitting sliding movement ofsaid panel therethrough to a position beyond that normally occupied bysaid panel.

3. A drawer comprising a bottom, side and end walls, a panel providing amovable false bottom normally supported above said bottom in a planesubstantially parallel to said bottom, one of said walls containing aslot through which said panel i slidable, means connecting said panelwith said side walls to restrain said panel against removal by lifting,and a removable member projecting upwardly from said panel andinterfitted with said side walls providing a temporary partition forsaid drawer.

4. A drawer comprising a bottom, side and end Walls, a panel providing amovable false bottom normally supported above said bottom in a planesubstantially parallel to said bottom, one of said walls containing aslot through which said panel is slidable, means connecting said panelwith said side walls to restrain said panel against removal by lifting,and a removable member projecting upwardly from said panel andinterfitted with at least one of said walls providing a temporarypartition for said drawer.

5. A drawer comprising a bottom, sides and ends, a panel providing amovable false bottom normally supported above said bottom in a planesubstantially parallel to said bottom, means slidably connecting saidpanel with said sides to enable movement of said panel in its own planeand to restrain said panel against removal by lifting, a memberprojecting upwardly from said panel and parallel with said endsproviding a partition for saiddrawer, and a removable partitionsupported by said panel between said member and one of said ends, saidremovable parti tion cooperating with said drawer to prevent movement ofsaid panel.

6. A drawer comprising a bottom, sides and ends, a panel providing amovable false bottom normally supported above said bottom in a planesubstantially parallel to said bottom, said sides containing opposedgrooves slidably receiving said panel and restraining said panel againstremoval by lifting, and a member carried by and projecting upwardly fromsaid panel providing a handle for said panel and a partition for saiddrawer, said partition cooperating with said drawer to prevent slidingmovement of said panel.

- FRANK P. MAY.

